Counting Down to One
by Spark17
Summary: Jonathan uses a trick or two to get his twin to fall asleep.


_Ironically, this little ficlet is the reason I couldn't sleep this morning. My little one woke me up at 4:45 this morning and asked if I would sleep on the couch with him. He slept. I stared out the window. Thanks, buddy. This fict is inspired by SilverMidnight52's amazing story "Sleep" and for Ice Queen1 because when I grow up (ha!) I want to be at least half the awesome writer that she is. There is one big swear word in this because it's Jonathan and he doesn't care what you think._

The Black brothers were never very good sleepers. With all the death defying illusions and many more near misses, their nervous systems had taken quite a hit. Your response to any stimulus had to be immediate or else "death followed" so now any sound sent their systems into high alert. Plus, there was the added stress of their father. Always be thinking of the newest, biggest, flashiest. How to do it? Where to do it? What do we need? What's the budget? How do we _sell_ it? Their bodies begged for rest but their brains would yell "one more time". Usually in their father's voice.

They always got adjoining hotel rooms with connecting doors that were always left open. Jonathan could hear his brother moving restlessly in the next bed and could "feel" the tension and frustration coming through the wall to his room.

He walked through the passageway into Cameron's room. Cam lay on the bed. His eyes closed.

"Cam?"

"Cam?" Jonathan signed.

"You can't fool me. I'm the _Amazing Cameron Black_ , remember?" Jonathan joked.  
"All that noise in your head is keeping me awake."

Cameron signed and opened his eyes to fully see his brother's face. _His_ face.  
"I just can't turn it off. I can't _stop_. God, my brain hates me." He said with a frustrated sigh.

Jonathan climbed over his brother, intentionally pressing knees and hands into him as he clamored to the other side.

"Ugh." Cameron groaned as a knee went right in his stomach. "You are such a dick."

Jonathan didn't know what people would say about him climbing in bed with his brother and he didn't give fuck-all if they did. It had always been this way. Sebastian Black only had _one_ son, remember? Most American hotels had double beds so he and Cameron would take one bed while their Dad slept in the other. European hotels were different. Sebastian couldn't very well ask for three beds so he and Cam would curl up together on the day bed or camp cot provided. Sometimes he would sleep in the recliner or couch if the hotel had one but he didn't really like doing that. They were usually next to the door which meant his father was between him and his twin and he REALLY didn't like that.

"Open your eyes."

"I'm trying to sleep, Johnny. That's usually done better with your eyes closed."

"Shut up and listen to your big brother."

"Seven minutes, Johnny." Cam answered flatly.

"Might as well be 7 years and you know it now shut up. Besides, I am your BIG brother." Jonathan teased, knowing this would goad him.

"By a half inch!" Cameron rolled to face his brother in the bed. Johnny pushed him back over and laid on his side so he couldn't roll back over.

They laid together on the bed for a few minutes than Jonathan spoke again.

"You in pain?"

Cameron didn't say anything but the grimace on his face and his attempts to breathe deeply meant that his chest was tight and hurting. If his chest was hurting, that meant his head was hurting too. Jonathan moved his hands down his brother's light blue sleeping shirt and started to rub his back about half way down. Right where the muscles were tight and protesting.

"Now open your eyes and look at the window." Jonathan pitched his voice low as he spoke to his brother.  
"See how the lights make the curtain glow. Focus on that panel on the edge. See it? See how it glows sliver in the light?  
See those three squares near the window pane? How the light spills out of the curtain onto the metal frame. Look carefully. Do you see it?"

Jonathan continued to rub his brother's back.

"Now take some tape."

"Duct tape." Cameron murmured softly.

Jonathan chuckled also softly. "You and your duct tape."

"Duct tape holds the world together."

"Okay, take your duct tape. Feel it in your hand. It's sticky and smooth. Cool. Now take the tape and tape the curtain to the window so the light can't get out. Slowly move the tape down the window. Make it as straight as you can. Smooth the tape so there are no wrinkles."

Cam's eyes began to half close.

"Run your fingers over the tape so it's completely smooth. Do it again. Press down on the corners. One...two...three...four."

Jonathan paused for just a moment before resuming in an even lower voice.

"There's a little spot right up at the top. A small gap where the tape doesn't reach. Just a little small spot of light."

Cam's eyes were completely closed now and his breathing began to even out. Jonathan could feel the tension leaving his body as he lay close.

"Take your finger and touch the spot. Feel how warm it is from the light. Press your finger against the curtain until the spot is gone. There's no more light. It's dark. It's dark and that's good. It's good that it's dark.

Jonathan could tell that Cam was fully asleep now. He kept his hands where they were to warm his brother's back, stuck his chin on Cam's shoulder and, lulled by his own story and fatigue, soon feel asleep himself.


End file.
